DUBLIN, United States (AFP) – Bryson DeChambeau birdied four of his last six holes to surge to a one-shot lead on Saturday going into the final round of the US PGA Tour’s Memorial tournament.
DeChambeau signed for a bogey-free 66 to move to 14-under 202 as the Californian looks to secure a second PGA Tour victory after capturing last year’s John Deere Classic.
Red-hot Chilean sensation Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Cantlay and Kyle Stanley were a stroke back on 203. Overnight co-leaders Niemann and Stanley both carded 70 while Cantlay’s 66 included two eagles, one of them a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth.
A further six players were within five shots of DeChambeau’s lead – including 14-time major champion Tiger Woods.
Woods briefly grabbed a share of the lead before stumbling with two bogeys in his last three holes.
South Korea’s An Byeong-hun was alone in fifth after a 69 for 204 and England’s Justin Rose carded a 69 for 206.
Woods posted a 68 to head a group on 207 that also included Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (71).
DeChambeau, ranked 38th in the world, kick-started his push to the top of the board with birdies at the fifth and seventh holes. He posted back-to-back birdie ‘‘threes’’ at 13 and 14 and picked up a stroke at 16 before landing his 145-yard approach at the last five feet from the pin en route to a birdie.
‘‘I just want to birdie every hole,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s all we’re trying to do out there.
‘‘No matter if you’re one back or tied for the lead every hole is an opportunity to make a birdie and that’s just what I’m going to try and do every single day.’’
